When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 127: Chapter 83 Edward's Showdown_2

"And the professor, he doesn't have a single relative, no wife, and no records of his parents—it's just as you yourself just said, you are married. You were even urging me to marry soon. So, hasn't anyone ever urged Professor James to do the same?"

"Only adopted children and friends, but no social relationship closer than that. Not at all, one can't even find a death certificate."

Sherlock sighed and picked up his cigar again, speaking calmly, "Don't be nervous, my dear friend. When I realized that Aiwass truly desired to protect Princess Isabel from the bottom of his heart, none of that mattered anymore."

"Her Majesty saved my father's life, and I must repay her. That's why I'm working for Mr. Kent. I don't work for Avalon, nor do I submit to the Round Table Hall. I serve only the royal family—or rather, I am loyal only to Queen Sofia."

"I am not a stickler, Edward. You know me. I'm not after justice or order, I'm just a bit curious about the truth. As long as it's not something outrageous, I might even help you. So what exactly is it that you must keep in your heart and cannot tell me?"

"... I don't tell you because it's for your own good."

Edward remained silent for a long time, then shook his head sincerely and said, "All I can tell you is that my father bears no malice toward the royal family. That's already the limit, you really should stop investigating further."

Sherlock pressed on, "So we are not against each other..."

"—This is not a warning, Sherlock. This is advice."

Still dressed in the black suit that resembled mourning attire, the upright Edward spoke in a low and magnetic voice, "Moths get caught by spiders; the best choice is to stay away from the web. The less you know, the safer you are."

"...Alright. I trust you, my dear friend. I won't probe into this matter on my own again without your permission."

Sherlock shook his head and sighed.

He still couldn't figure out what his old friend was worried about.

But there were still some results, after all.

At least now there had been a preliminary showdown and compromise between them.

"Once the assassin came down from the second floor, the places she could hide were extremely limited. The first possibility was beneath Aiwass, and the second was beside him near Isabel. Only they would definitely not run, and no one would interrogate them.

"The 'deductions' mentioned in the newspapers are all nonsense. Or rather, Aiwass did not deduce at all—more precisely, what he did was a scam. He was not deducing past truths but actively guiding the future.

"He had no idea where the assassin was, but like a spider weaving a web, he invisibly manipulated that ignorant assassin, step by step, into the trap he had prepared in advance.

"—I think that should be the entire truth."

Aiwass was only nineteen years old this year and had never come into contact with such things before, nor had any record of using this skill.

No matter how intelligent, he could not possibly comprehend this knowledge out of thin air. Where could he have learned this skill?

That leaves only one possibility: from the professor.

"The only time he was out of the public eye was from the time he graduated from middle school until mid-November. I think it was probably during this period that Aiwass learned the professor's skills, understood the professor's plans, and began to oppose his principles... In a way, compared to you, Aiwass may be even closer to the professor."

Sherlock had some feelings for the professor. Therefore, he did not want to use the word "conspiracy" but chose "planning" instead.

He confidently said, "Precisely because of this, I am convinced of Aiwass's intelligence, reliability, and innocence, as well as the fact that the professor has problems.

"So I am now being frank with you before I truly start investigating. Just as I determined that this matter was not done by Professor Moriarty, for it was too simple for him. If Aiwass were also involved, the true nature of the case could not have been easily seen through by me. For this reason, I deduced that Aiwass's stance must be diametrically opposed to the professor's.

"If there are things you find difficult to discuss with me or cannot say to your father, then consider talking with your brother Aiwass. He is much more intelligent than you think.

"Or rather, he is far more intelligent than you."

Sherlock gave a ruthless yet friendly suggestion.